Patrick Curry

MBA

In May, Patrick Curry and his band, The Whatnot opened for Willie Nelson at a concert at the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion in Gilford.

But first, Patrick, a student in Southern New Hampshire University’s Global M.B.A. program, had to read and sign the contract.

“I read that contract using what I learned in business law class. I never would have done that before graduate school,” says the 30-year-old Rochester resident.

Patrick, who has an undergraduate degree in business administration and a job at Portsmouth financial consulting firm Prime, Buchholz & Associates, attends classes at SNHU’s Seacoast Center and performs with his band on the weekends.

“Music is an outlet, a creative way of expressing myself. I didn’t want it to become work,” he says, explaining why he chose business over music as a career.

Still, The Whatnot, which has been compared to the Canadian band Barenaked Ladies, has enjoyed a taste of fame and fortune.

The band was featured on the Domino’s Pizza Web site and also played on “Greg and the Morning Buzz,” a Portsmouth radio program.

But Patrick says each class he’s taken at SNHU has confirmed his decision to pursue a business career and make music for fun.

“By continuing to learn and gain knowledge, even about things you know about, you get a different perspective,” he says. “I feel it enriches my life having the degree, and it’s an excellent platform to further my education and enhance my career and my hobby.”